Revival
by Sqrl Of Doom
Summary: As 4 dragons eggs hatch for 4 very different Riders throught Alageasia, the Black Hand becomes more powerful than ever before.These young Riders must band together to qwell the darkness that would engulf them.Action,humor,and even some romance.Post-series
1. one

_**Fox-Kun**__: Welcome to Sqrl-chan's first attempt at fanfiction. This is a small glimpse at the inner workings of her strange, strange mind and what I have to put up with every da- _

_**A/N:**__ (bursts through door) Sorry I'm late! Those damned winged monkeys kept stealing my bag. So, have you already started?_

_**Fox-Kun:** ..._

_**A/N: **__What? Oh don't tell me that water balloon they threw was filled with paint!_

_**Fox-Kun: (**__sigh) no, it wasn't. I was giving them a brief warning before your onslaught of craziness._

_**A/N:**__ Hey, you wouldn't let me go crazy with this story. What, with all the reading over my shoulder and grammar correcting._

_**Fox-Kun:**__ which was very hard to do, considering that I'm a figment of your imagination._

_**A/N:**__ True….Does this mean that I'm talking to myself right now._

_**Fox-Kun:**__ Just another fact to add to the list._

_**A/N:**__ What list?_

_**Fox-Kun: **__the list that I'll give to the people who run the funny farm that I'm going to send you to one of these days._

_**A/N:**__ Ooh, you're going to send me to learn how to be a clown!?_

_**Fox-Kun:**__ ... sure, you'll learn how to be a clown…in a nice padded room…_

_**A/N:**__ Yays! (glomps Foxy) Thankyouthankyouthankyou you are the BEST!_

_**Fox-Kun: **(__attempts to free himself from Sqrl's death grip) Aren't you fprgetting something?_

_**A/N:**__ What?_

_**Fox-Kun:**__ (still struggling and turning slightly blue) The story, dammit, the story. I Need Air!_

_**A/N: **(__Drops Foxy) Oh Yeah!: The world of Alageasia and all characters involved in the original series are © Christopher Paolini. Any and all other characters are mine. Bwahahaha. Enjoy_

Cedric strode over the dunes, grumbling under his breath. "Why is it that whenever something menial needs doing, _I'm_ always the one who is 'volunteered'?" He asked himself. His best friend, Darson, stumbled after him, unable to keep up with Cedric's long-legged stride. Cedric blushed and slowed his pace. After all, it had been nice of Darson to offer his help.

Darson caught up, groaning under the weight of the buckets on his back. "Why (pant) did I offer to come (pant) along with you (pant) again?" he complained good-naturedly. "It's beyond me," replied Cedric, "and if you're tired now, wait 'till these things have water in them." Darson groaned again and Cedric chuckled at his friend's plight. "This would be so much easier if we had horses." Darson said. "Oh come now, you know that no horse could survive a prolonged stay in the Hadarac. They'd die within a week!" said Cedric. "Well, what about a dragon?" said Darson.

Cedric halted in his tracks. He had only seen a dragon once in his life, which was still more than can be said for most. After the Second Battle of Doru Areaba and the defeat of Galbatorix the Tyrant twenty years ago, the dragons had started to make a comeback, though they still numbered far fewer than before the Fall. He couldn't believe Darson had just suggested using such an awesome beast as a pack animal.

Darson had obviously noticed the abrupt change of mood and said hurriedly, "Of course, I doubt such a noble beast would agree to help _us_." Cedric thought about it, and decided not to leave it at that. He didn't want to lose his only friend over a petty argument like that, especially when Darson had made an effort to reconcile. He resumed walking, until his boot connected with something large, hard and painful.

He gave a shout of surprise and tumbled headfirst down the dune. He struggled to get up, cursing and spitting sand, and then the thing that he had kicked rolled down the dune and came to a rest directly beside him. He stopped swearing and stayed frozen in a half-crouch, staring at the polished stone that was nestled in the sand not two feet away. He was shaken out of his reverie by Darson, who, having abandoned the buckets, was charging down the dune at full tilt, drawing his dirk out of his belt.

"Cedric! What's the matter!? What happened!? Are you all right!?" he cried, searching around for some wild animal or slave trader. "Fine. A bit sore is all," Cedric reassured him," just tripped over this." He gestured at the stone. "What is it," said Darson, sheathing his dirk and crouching as well to better examine the stone. "I don't know," said Cedric, who reached out to pick it up. "Don't," said Darson very suddenly. Cedric threw him a questioning look. "I've just got a funny feeling about that thing," Darson said, embarrassed. "It just doesn't feel…_normal_."

Cedric nodded. That out of place feeling is what had made him pause after his fall. His sense of curiosity was greater than his fear, however, and he still wanted to pick it up. Darson shrugged resignedly, and watched as his friend slowly drew the stone closer to him.

Cedric cradled the stone in the crook of his arm. He had never seen anything like it. It was oval and a little under a foot long. It was a golden color and blended almost perfectly with the sun drenched sand, which would explain why even his sharp eyes had missed it. Upon peering closer, he noticed that minute white veins spiderwebed across the surface. "This has got to be worth at least a few crowns," said Darson, who had crept closer for a better look as well. "Mm," grunted Cedric noncommittally, still gazing at the stone.

"You don't want to sell it, do you?" asked Darson. "No," sighed Cedric, running a hand over the smooth stone," there's just something…_special_ about it. And besides, I already earn enough to support myself." "whatever," grunted Darson, standing up," but you're carrying it." He trotted back up the dune to retrieve the buckets, and they continued on their way.

_**Fox-Kun:**__ My God, you actually managed to write without lapsing into crack!_

_**A/N:**__ I Know! Sometimes I surprise myself. Maybe It's the little talk show thing that we do. It helps work out a lot of the randomness._

_**Fox-Kun: **__So we're going to have to do this every chapter?_

_**A/N: **__Yup !_

_**Fox-Kun:**__ Crap. Well, speaking of chapters, how often are you planning on updating?_

_**A/N:**__ I don't really know. I've got the first 6 chapters typed up, and I'm working on the 7__th__, so I'll probably update weekly for the next few weeks, but beyond that I really can't say._

_**Fox-Kun:**__ So you're planning on being an ass._

_**A/N:**__ Hey, I'll _try_ to be as nice as possible. I want to keep my Readers happy. But yeah, pretty much expect the worst. But If I get lots of reviews, I get lots of incentive, and thus strive harder to churn out new chapters. Plus, the Readers will get special awards!_

_**Fox-Kun: **__I'm sure people are just falling over themselves to review now that they might get a reward._

_**A/N:**__ You really think so?_

_**Fox-Kun:**__ No. Not really. By the way, compared to our show, this chapter is kind of short._

_**A/N:**__ I know, I know. In the future, our show will be shorter and I'm working on getting the chapters longer. It just takes some practice._

_**Fox-Kun:**__ Well, that's all I got. You?_

_**A/N:**__ Yep, that's it for me too. To our honorable Reader: We hope to see you next chapter!_

_**Fox-Kun:**__ you're writing this from California, and I'm trapped inside of your damned comp. How exactly are we supposed to 'see them next chapter'?_

_**A/N:**__ Shut Up! I'm sure that they're smart enough to get that it's a _figure of speech_, unlike _some_ computer-possessing fox demons that I know._

_**Fox-Kun:**__ Whatever. Oh, and for those who don't know, a __**dirk**__ is a blade that is too long to be considered a dagger, but is too short to be considered a sword. It is good for both throwing and close quarters fighting. That is all._


	2. two

_**Fox-Kun:**__ Geez, not even your second update and you're already slacking off._

_**A/N:** I know, I know. to appease the readers (and beacause this chapter is so short) I will upload two chappies today._

_**Fox-Kun:** Good. (looks down at chapter) Wow, this is pretty short._

_**A/N:** I had writers block when I wrote this, and I started writing the next chapter instead of extending this one by accident._

_**Fox-Kun:** How very like you. Anyways, at this time we would like to thank the wonderful people that take the time to read this pathetic thing that Sqrl-Chan calls a story-_

_**A/N:** Oi! _

_**Fox-Kun:** -and to say that Sqrl-Chan does not own the Inheritance Cycle, the land of Alageasia, or it's original inhabitants. All other characters, though, such as Cedric and Darson, are hers._

_**A/N:** (busy shooting death glare at Foxy) Indeed. Oh, and for those of you who haven't heard, good 'ole Mr. Paolini has decided to extend the series to at least four books, as he realized that he couldn't cram all of his ideas into one book without it being larger than your average dictionary. Both Fox-Kun and I will refer to the Cycle (as Mr. Paolini calls it) by it's correct title from here on out. Just a word of warning._

_Oh, and for those of you who were too lazy to read down to the bottom of the last chapter (myself included, if I hadn't written it) a **Dirk** is a blade too short to be considered a sword, but too long to be a dagger. It is excellent for both throwing and hand-to-hand combat._

-oOoOoOoO-

They reached the Stone Tables, a rocky outcropping in the middle of the desert, just as the sun was beginning to set. They lit a fire and started to spread out their sleeping blankets. Cedric was about to lay his folded up cloak down to use as a pillow when he heard a strange peeping noise. He and Darson exchanged a quick look and drew their weapons. They stayed absolutely still until they heard the sound again, this time accompanied by a hollow thunking noise. They pinpointed its location and crept toward it. It had come from the direction of the buckets, which they had put down on the far side of the camp. The sounds were coming from inside one of them, the same one that Cedric had placed the stone in…

They peered inside the bucket, dirks raised to deflect an attack. To their surprise, there was nothing in there except the motionless golden stone. Cedric reached in and nudged the stone, to see if there was anything underneath it. As soon as he touched it, the stone sent off a cacophony of squeaking and tottered back and forth, knocking against the sides of the bucket, creating the thunking noise they had heard before. He took the stone out of the bucket and went over to the fire with Darson trailing behind. He sat down on his blanket and peered at the stone. As far as he could see, nothing had changed other than the squeaking and trembling. He placed his palm on top of the stone, as if attempting to placate it. Darson sat a few feet away on his own blanket. As far as_ he_ could see, the world had gone mad. First a stone starts crying, and then his friend tries to comfort it. Weirder and weirder. Suddenly the stone gave an extra loud squeak, making them both wince, and fell silent.

"Well, I suppose that's that," said Darson with a nervous laugh," maybe now we can get some sleep!"

"I don't think s-," said Cedric, breaking off as a large crack appeared on the stone.

The crack lengthened at a rapid pace, causing more cracks to branch off from it. Cedric snatched his hand back as if he had been scalded, and watched as the cracks scurried across the stone. Very slowly, the perfectly round section where his palm had been started to rise. It stopped for a moment, and then fell to the ground, as if the thing beneath it decided that it had had enough of waiting. Cedric sat there, dumbstruck, as he peered into two big golden-amber eyes. Darson opened and closed his mouth several times, like a landed fish, but no words came out. He lifted his hand to point, and two pairs of eyes, one golden and one blue-gray, swiveled around to look at him.

His speech seemed to return then, if not his articulation. He remained pointing, his hand trembling, as he gasped out "A dr-…a dra-…a dra-… A DRAGON!" and then his eyes seemed to roll up into his head, and he fainted with a dainty sigh.

_-oOoOoOoO-_

_**Fox-Kun:**__ Geez, this is even shorter than the 1__st__ chapter._

_**A/N:**__ Shove it, Foxy. This is the dramatic introduction of the next chapter. I'll probably upload the next chapter at the end of the week instead of next week, seeing as this one is so short._

_**Fox-Kun:**__ well, is the next chapter as short as this one?_

_**A/N: **__Oh, good god, no. It is a lot longer than either of its predecessors._

_**Fox-Kun: **__I hope so. _


	3. three

_**Fox-kun:** The third chapter_

_**A/N:**in which we are introduced to the most enigmatic and charismatic character in the story. The dragon! The main dragon to be precise. This dragon will be the cause of the meeting of all of my main characters! His charisma might not come through in this chapter, but it will later on. And you'll never geuss who I name him after._

_**Fox-Kun:**Ronald Reagan(sp)?_

_**A/N:** ...no. Not even close. And why (ex/late)President Reagan anyways?_

_**Fox-Kun:** He was a good President, wasn't he?_

_**A/N:** Yes, I suppose he was. But I've already made up my mind on his name. I'll keep President Reagan's name on file, though._

_**Fox-Kun:** Thank you. Oh, and you still have to do the disclaimer._

_**A/N:** What!? Again!? (sigh) : **I do not own the Inheritance Cycle, the land of Alageasia, or it's original inhabitants. All other characters, though, such as Cedric and Darson, are mine.**_

_**Fox-Kun:** You know, these last two host-things have been pretty tame compared to your first one._

_**A/N:** oh, don't worry, it gets better on the bottom._

-oOoOoOoOo-

Darson came-to several minutes later with the help of Cedric and the water skin which Cedric unceremoniously doused his head with. After Darson had stopped spluttering and composed himself, they turned to study the small golden dragon, which, having at long last broken free of its prison, was staring at them with steady eyes. The eyes in question where unnaturally calm and wise for something so small and young. They stood locked in a staring match for some time, until Cedric began to inch forward towards the dragon.

The dragon's focus immediately shifted, and the steady golden-amber eyes tracked his every movement with the unwavering precision of a predator.

"Are you _mad_," hissed Darson,"you don't know what this thing is capab-". He broke off sharply as the dragon's head snapped around and its gaze settled on him.

"_So_," Hissed Cedric right back, ignoring the piercing gaze that shifted back onto him," Don't you get it? This is a _dragon_. Even if this little thing does manage to rip me apart, then at least I'll have gotten closer to one than anybody outside the Rider's has ever gotten before!"

Darson sighed. He knew that determined look on his friend's face. He'd probably be _glad_ if the dragon killed him, just so he had something to brag about in the after-life.

Cedric crept forward slowly, so as not to alarm the dragon. He stopped about five feet away, within comfortable distance for both of them. Then, even more slowly, he reached out a hand to touch it, stopping whenever the dragon made a small rasping sound that he determined was a growl. After a while, the dragon decided that Cedric meant no harm, and let him get close enough to touch. Cedric reached out his hand and ever so gently rested his palm on the dragon's flank.

Even he had not anticipated the fiery bolt of energy that raced up his arm and seemed to fill every part of his body. He fell writhing to the sand. He dimly heard Darson calling out his name in alarm, but more distinctly, he heard the roaring of some huge beast inside his head. Cedric felt as if he were in the middle of a fight. Every cell in his being was supercharged with adrenalin. There was no pain, though he knew there ought to be. A human's mind is not designed to cope with that kind of sudden and massive input of energy, so it just throws up a pathetic tingling and pumps out even more adrenalin to help the body fight whatever is forcing the energy into it.

After what seemed like an age, Cedric gradually returned to his senses. With Darson's help, he sat upright on his blanket. The dragon, to his surprise, crawled onto his lap and sat starring up at him. He stared dumbly back, unable to grasp what had just happened. Seeing that the dragon was no longer an immediate threat to either of them, Darson relaxed and allowed himself to fully admire the dragon.

It was about the size of a house cat, with golden scales that gleamed in the firelight. They were the same color as the stone-the _egg_- that it had hatched out of.It had ivory spines running from the base of its head to the tip of its tail, which ended in an arrow-head shape. The tips of two small ivory fangs extended just below its upper lip, and four ivory claws extended from each paw. These claws suddenly retracted, much to Darson's surprise, and then slid back out again with a small _sshhiicckk_sound. Two thin, golden wings were folded neatly to its back, and looked so fragile that to Darson it seemed even a light wind could break them.

"Gosh, who would have thought we'd find a dragon's egg all the way out here." he said, with more than a hint of awe. "Do you think I could touch it too…" he said, obviously forgetting the ordeal Cedric had just gone through, and reached out a finger to touch the dragon's head.

The dragon contemplated the finger coming toward it, cocked its head…and promptly latched on to it with teeth as sharp as needles.

The scene stayed frozen like this for exactly ten seconds. Then Darson let out a hoarse shout of pain and shook his hand in an effort to dislodge his tiny assailant. The dragon hung on doggedly, determined not to be deprived of its first prey. This resulted in a tug of war that lasted several minutes with much swearing on Darsons part and much growling on the dragons. Eventually, Cedric stopped laughing enough to pry the dragon's jaws apart, letting Darson retreat to a safe distance, nursing his injured hand and glaring at the dragon. The dragon, meanwhile, was giving Cedric such an offended look that it made him burst out laughing even harder than before.

He stopped suddenly as something brushed against his mind. His eyes widened in amazement, and he looked about wildly, seeking the source of the disturbance. It came again, this time stronger. He sensed something from it, not exactly words, but more like a general thought. _Hungry _is what it seemed to say. Cedric stared down at the dragon, realizing that the thoughts were coming from _it_. The dragon seemed to be offended at the term _it_. Cedric gave a start. He had only thought the word _it_. Did that mean the dragon could read his mind? A _yes _thought came from the dragon, then the _hungry_ thought again.

Cedric sighed. He and Darson had eaten the last of the food for lunch. They had planned to re-supply once they got to Leean, the trading post surrounding the only well for miles. He had nothing to feed the dragon with. The dragon gave a _disappointed_thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Darson heave a cavernous yawn. He suddenly realized that he too was exhausted. It had been a busy day. He was sure that the dragon would be tired to, especially after its impromptu wrestling match with Darson. He received another _yes_ thought from the dragon.

Cedric said "alright then, let's get some sleep. We've still got a ways to before we reach Leean tomorrow."

Darson gave a relieved grunt and plopped down onto his blanket, folding his cloak up to use as a pillow. Cedric picked up his own cloak, already folded, and started to place it down on a lightish patch of sand. The dragon followed his movements with half interest, until its eyes settled on the light patch. It immediately tensed, causing Cedric to hesitate and Darson to look over to see what was the matter. The dragon dropped into a crouch and sprang.

Cedric gave a sigh of frustration. No doubt the dragon was just playing some silly game. This thought was immediately discarded as the patch of sand seemed to explode, resolving itself into a writhing adder, the dragons teeth embedded in its neck, just below the head. The two scaly combatants wrestled for a few moments, until the dragon whipped its head to the side, snapping the snake's neck. Cedric and Darson looked at each other in amazement. That was the exact same patch of sand Cedric had been about to lay his cloak on before they had been interrupted by the egg. Had the dragon not squeaked right then, Cedric would have put his cloak down upon the adder, and the snake would have bitten him, injecting him with enough poison to kill a regiment.

The dragon made short work of the adder. It had been juicy and well fed, a fitting first meal for a dragon hatchling. It sauntered lazily over to Cedric, emanating _satisfied_thoughts. Cedric laid his cloak down, avoiding the spot where the snake had been, and then laid down himself. The dragon nestled itself into the crook of his arm, giving a low rumble that sounded almost like a purr. Cedric eventually fell asleep, his mind awhirl with thoughts of dragons, snakes, and fingers.

X X X

-oOoOoOoOo-

_**Fox-Kun:** what's up with the X's at the bottom?_

_**A/N:** It means that we are shifting the scene to another main character_. _We will do this quite often as Cedric begins his travels. And we won't see Cedric, Darson, or the golden dragon hatchling for a few chapters at the very least._

_**Fox-Kun:** Does this mean that we'll meet the rest of the main characters in the next few chapters?_

_**A/N:** Most of them. There are one or two main characters that I'm saving for later on._

_**Fox-Kun:** I __hope that you do some character descriptions too._

_**A/N: **Um, hehe, actually, I'm not going to get around to some actual character descriptions until around chapter 7._

_**Fox-Kun: **What!?_

_**A/N:**Hey, I have to cover the other 3 hatchings too! They take place all over Alageasia, so I have enough to distract people from the lack of descriptions for the characters. I hope._

_**Fox-Kun:** I hope so too. Because if they kill you, they kill me as well. I'm just a figment of your imagination. _

_**A/N:** No you aren't. You are the fox demon that is currently possessing (He got in to mess w/ and now can't get out of )my computer and is inspiring me to write. You also overheat the damn thing every fifteen minutes or so. _

_**Fox-Kun:** My retribution for having to put up with you every day...Well, I suppose we should end the show on that no-(CRASH!) What the hell was that!_

_**A/N:**Oh jeezum, it's those damned flying monkeys! They found out that they can actually break through windows instead of frying into a crisp if they crashed into them!_

_**Fox-Kun:** Who the hell told them that that would happen if they crashed into a window!?_

_**A/N:**eheheh, funny you should ask… (CRASH!)_

_**Fox-Kun: **Dammit, there's more of em every second! Oi! Don't eat that! Oh, son of a-_

_**A/N: **We're just going to take care of our little infestation problem. We'll hopefully see you next week! (CRASH!) Hey, don't ..._


	4. four

_**A/N:**The monkeys got Foxy! oh well. Guess I'm all on my lonesome here. I'm listening to the overture to the Barber of Seville right now and It's begging me to do a fight scene... but I don't have any enemies to fight yet... Oooh, I just had a good idea (I'm kinda stealing it from another story, but it fits the bill perfectly). The next chapter shall have fighting mwahahahaha! _

_Oh, and sorry for the late posting, but I had standardized test syndrome this week (damn CSTs are killing me, and my teachers don't care, they just keep heapin' the homework). I was also struck with a story idea for the Odyssey, of all things, thanks to the inspiration of my english teacher._

_I'll probably repost this story later to fix all of the problems that I have with the first chapter. And I'll probably omit my little talk show segment on the repost, KRM-EditorInChief, and thanks for the suggestions they are mucho appreciated! But due to writers block, all of the hatchings are kinda short, so I've put them together to form one nice long chappie._

_So without further ado (sigh)**: I do not own the Inheritance Cycle, the land of Alageasia, or it's original inhabitants. All other characters, though, such as Cedric and Darson, are mine. So ha.**_

_Enjoy!_

XXXX

At the moment Cedric tripped over his destiny, a procession of people was walking slowly through Dras-Leona. Fayne surveyed the parade with interest. As a thief, she could see numerous opportunities to at least pick someone's pocket. They all seemed wealthy (and relaxed) enough for her to score big.

The procession consisted of several men and women walking in formation around…something. She couldn't see it clearly through the crowd. Another group walked near the sides of the road, herding _children_through a gap between the guards (Fayne knew they were guards due to the all-to-obvious swords belted to their waists, and the already strung bows they held loosely in their grasps). The children would hurry to the center of the procession, pause for a moment, then hurry out the other side looking disappointed.

Fayne elbowed her way to the edge of the throng. She wanted to get a better look at what these people were guarding, as well as appraise the guards.

Suddenly, a man from the second group walked up to her and said "You're a little older than what we usually look for, but better safe than sorry, eh?"

He chuckled and guided her towards the line of children. Fayne was 25 years old, but she was so small and innocent looking that she was often mistaken for a 14 or 15 year old girl. She didn't mind. It just made her occupation that much easier.

Fayne allowed herself to be led into the line. This was a dream come true! Whatever these people were guarding must be extremely valuable, considering the amount of guards and the turnout rate of the town. And they were going to let her walk right up to it and touch it, if she could see what the children were doing correctly. They were practically begging her to steal it!

She drew abreast of the guards. The one on her right let out a gentle laugh at the face of a particularly sullen looking child. Fayne had never heard anything so beautiful in her life. The sound was like music, like a brook that she could sit by and listen to her whole life and never want to…wait. She _had_heard this sound before. Fayne studied the guard as best she could out of the corner of her eye, and caught a glimpse of lustrous, silvery hair, a flawless face, and pointed ears.

Fayne felt her previous elation drain down through the soles of her boots. _Elves!_ A casual glanced confirmed it. Every one of the guards was an elf. She might have been able to out-run and out-fox any human guard, but an _elf_…no, it just wasn't possible.

She sighed. At least she would get a look at what was escaping her grasp. The guard on her right gave her a smile and motioned for her to move forward. Fayne hurried into the center of the procession and took in everything at first glance, as she had been taught.

A grave-faced man marched slowly, cradling something in his arms. From the way he was holding it, Fayne figured that he would probably die before surrendering it to anyone. As she drew near, he extended his arms, proffering the thing he was holding for her to touch. In his hands, balanced on a soft white cloth, lay a turquoise blue stone, the color of the lake on a clear day. It was just under a foot long, the sun reflecting off of its polished surface. Fayne laid her hand on it, as she had seen the others do. Part of her was sorely tempted to knock the old man over, grab the stone, and run. But the other part of her didn't want to. The old man was so frail looking that she was surprised a light breeze didn't overturn him. If he hit the ground too hard, it would probably kill him. She might have been a hardened thief, but she was no murderer. She would not to take the stone.

Right when Fayne thought this, a large crack appeared in the stone. She paled and hurriedly stepped back, afraid of what would happen now that she had damaged it. The old man caught her bewildered gaze, and the calm strength behind those eyes immediately calmed her. She knew he was not angry. In fact, he seemed _happy_.

Loud cracking sounds drew their attentions back to the egg. Fayne was vaguely aware that the procession had stopped and the crowd had fallen silent, everyone apprehensively staring at her and the old man, but her focus was on the now rapidly cracking stone in the old man's hands. She could not look away, even if she had wanted to.

Just as the stone was about to break apart, the old man handed it to her. She accepted it, not knowing what else to do. Finally, with a loud grating sound, the stone fell in pieces to the ground, and Fayne was left holding a small turquoise dragon.

The old man smiled at her, and said in a quiet, unwavering voice,"Congratulations, young one."

Obviously, Fayne had misjudged just how 'frail' he was. Then, raising his voice for all to hear, He addressed the masses, saying, "We have a new Dragon Rider!"

The cheers were deafening. Fayne looked around, still confused. Then she looked down into the deep turquoise eyes of the dragon, _her_ dragon, and her brain finally caught up with the events. _A Dragon Rider_, she thought in awe. Then a bit more disappointedly, _I suppose that means no more thieving for me, huh._ The dragon gave her a wolfish grin and hummed contentedly.

XXXX

At the same moment that Fayne was being led to the dragon's egg, two young people were being led through Ellesméra by their uncle.

"So, we're really going to the Sanctuary, then," asked one, the boy.

"Yes," answered his uncle. His voice rasped, as if he had once suffered a severe throat wound. The other youth, the girl, was silent. Her uncle noticed, and tried to make an effort to cheer her up.

"And what have you got to say about all this, hmm? I would have expected that you would be plaguing me with questions, like, 'what does it look like', and, 'are all the dragon's eggs in Alaegasia really stored there at one point or another'. I'm not quite sure what to say to this new silent version. In fact, I think I kind of like this new you. No more incessant questions at every minute of every day."

The boy gave his uncle a look, warning him not to go too far. The girl suddenly sighed. "It's just…I always thought that we would be doing this with mother and father. I mean, why did they have to leave before…" She looked out at the forest, refusing to meet her companions' gazes.

Her uncle felt pity for the young girl. She had always proved herself strong in situations like these. To hear her talking like this… she must have been hurting very badly.

"You know why they had to leave," he said gently, "Your mother was sick. If they hadn't left for Alalea, she might have-,"

"Then why didn't father stay!" the girl demanded, whipping her head around to look him in the eyes, her own eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Because," her uncle said, even more gently,"He couldn't let your mother go without him. Imagine if you let your ill husband go on a long, long journey without you, never knowing whether he made it his destination safely or not. And," he raised a hand when she opened her mouth to argue,"He knew that I would take care of you and teach you in his stead. You must understand, leaving you was the most painful decision my brother ever made."

The girl balled her hands into fists and stopped, looking at the ground, her tears falling to settle like dew on the soft grass. Her companions stopped a few feet ahead. The boy looked especially worried.

"Kala, are you all-," he broke off as she pushed past them both and ran on down the path. "Kala, wait!" he cried, trying to run after her.

His uncle held him back, saying "Don't worry Aron; I doubt she'll get lost or anyone will want to hurt her here. And besides, the Sanctuary is probably the safest place in Alagaesia."

Kala ran until she couldn't anymore. She slumped, sobbing, in the doorway of the building closest to her. _What is wrong, Little One?_ She turned hurriedly, dashing the tears from her eyes. A large red dragon was staring at her from just inside the doorway with questioning eyes. Or eye, as one of them had been clawed out in a fearsome battle.

_It's just that…no one really understands, she thought, uncle, Aron, even grandmother act like it's perfectly okay that they left. It's like they don't even care that my parents are gone, and we'll never see them again!_

_Well, have you tried talking to them about it?_ asked the dragon.

_No…but Aron hasn't even given me a chance to talk to him about them. He hasn't brought them up once since they left. I'll bet he's even glad that they're gone!_

The dragon gave a snort. _You can't seriously think that_, he said, _they were as much his parents as yours. Perhaps his silence is a way of his being strong for you. By not bringing up the most painful things, he seeks to avoid confrontation and keep you happy. And I must admit, I can see why. Your smile is so much more_ beautiful _than all those tears!_ He tickled her under the chin with the tip of his tail, making her giggle.

Kala gave him a sad smile. _Still, talking about them is less painful than pretending they never existed._

The dragon winked his good eye, saying, _Ah, but does he know that?_

Their conversation was cut short as Aron and her uncle walked up the path. Aron jogged up to her, a worried look on his face. It occurred to Kala how tired he looked.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

"A bit better." she replied, favoring him with a smile. He let out a relieved sigh.

"Good. I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt and I could have protected you."

"Are you proposing that I can't take care of myself!?" Kala demanded with an offended air.

"N-No, I just…" Aron broke off with a grin. The old Kala was back.

"Are you two going to stay outside talking all night?" their uncle asked.

They pivoted on heel and said simultaneously, "Coming!" They scurried through the doorway after their uncle. Kala stopped to throw her arms around the dragon's neck. _Thank you._ The dragon simply hummed in reply.

Kala hurried to catch up with her brother and uncle. Her brother stopped so suddenly that she crashed into him, causing them both to fall to the ground. Kala stood up, opening her mouth to chastise her brother for stopping like that, and froze. She was in the middle of the most peaceful and beautiful room she had ever seen. The late afternoon sunlight slanted through a hole in the roof, illuminating the dozen or so dragon eggs that lay in leafy nests along the floor.

"Impressive, isn't it?" said her uncle. "Now, you will receive the honor of becoming a Dragon Rider, should any of these dragon's chose you." He gestured at the eggs.

"But…how will we know which eggs will hatch for us? Will we have to touch them all?" asked Kala.

"You will know." said their uncle, an odd glimmer in his eyes.

Kala shrugged and turned her attention to the eggs. They were all so beautiful; she didn't know how she could possibly choose. Her eyes settled on an egg that was as white as snow. She didn't know how, but she knew that this egg was meant for her. She walked over to it as if in a trance. She picked it up and cradled it as if it were the most delicate thing in the world, though she knew nothing short of magic could break it. She glanced over at her brother, and saw him bending over his egg, which was black as obsidian. Kala knew then that they would both, no, they would _all_ become strong. They would make their parents proud.

The egg cracked.

XXXX

_**A/N:**_ _The players have entered the field. Well, most of them at any rate. Still one or two that I'll introduce later._

_I plan on making the next chapter as long as I can, but the beggining might be a little violent._

_on an up note, KRM-EditorInChief recieves the Golden Acorn of Doom award for being my first reviewer!! Everyone else who devoted their precious time to reading my story recieves a plateful of cyber cookies! _

_Next Episode: The mysterious golden dragon recieves a name! (and other mysterious things befall Cedric)_

_Have a good day/night/whatever. (See, Jake, I can _so_ be polite)_


	5. five

**A/N: **My muse has come back from an extended vacation and has been cranking out ideas for me with the quick fire of a tommy gun (see?). Most are unusable, but there are one or two gems in there somewhere. Coincedently, my muse decided to return with the last day of the CSTs (just makeup tests for people who were absent, so I had nothing to do for 3 HOURS but sit...and think...and fall asleep and have a weird dream that inspired the end conversation of this chapter.)

This chapter is actually two shorter chapters that I decided to cobble due how close together I wrote them (At 10-11:30 pm last night). I know that I said we would discover the golden dragon's name in this chappie, But I decided to save it for next chapter, as the naming dosen't flow quite right with the rest of this chapter (I wrote the naming at about 11:30-12:15 last night).

I would also like to thank KRM-EditorAndChief once again for your uplifting reviews! They made my day (night)

And anyone who can guess where I got Cedric's dream idea from gets a huge cyber cookie (hint: it's in an obscure manga that begins with an H, look on onemanga) and anyone who can guess where the term Juska comes from gets a hi-five and a pat on the back.

DISCLAIMER: The Inheritance Cycle is NOT owned by me (sob). It belongs to Christopher Paolini

Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

_The Man stood unafraid in the midst of his enemies. One of the men surrounding him said something, and received a defiant snarl in reply. The man who had spoken sneered in return and gestured with his spear at the man in the center, and the others rushed him, baying like a pack of wild dogs. The man in the middle gave a fearsome grin, settling into a crouch and drawing his own sword._

_The leader of the charge rushed him from the side. The Man let the other lunge, dodging nimbly aside, and sliced open the other's neck as he ran past. Three others attempted to rush him in quick succession, and each met the same fate as their comrade. The rest of the group seemed enraged by their companion's deaths, and, throwing caution to the wind, threw themselves at him in the madness born of bloodlust. But the Man was too fast, his movements too fierce. He danced through the other men, dealing death and sowing mayhem and fear. _

_Very suddenly, his gaze snapped around, and he hesitated, his blank mask of indifference giving way to shock. His gaze lowered a bit, and he looked Cedric straight in the eyes. The Man gave him the saddest smile Cedric had or probably would ever see. Seeing his chance, one of the other men dashed forward and ran the Man through on his blade. The others let out a howl of triumph and dashed forward to join in the kill. _

_Despite the multiple weapons that were now lodged in his chest and gut, the faint glimmer of life still shone in the Man's eyes. Those eyes never once left Cedric's face. The Man slid to his knees, borne down under the weight of his assailants. More of the men joined the slaughter, and the Man's gaze was hidden from view. _

_When they finally withdrew, Cedric searched the Man's face for any sign, just a small, tiny sign of life…but to no avail. The eyes were glazed over, and the proud demeanor that the Man had held in life was gone, leaving only a battered corpse. The men turned toward him… _

Cedric sat bolt upright on his blanket, eyes wild and breathing erratic. It was still dark, though most of the stars had begun to disappear in preparation for the coming day. He heard a mew of protest from beside him, and looked down to see something trying to squirm free of the sand. At first, he nearly panicked. Then, the events of the previous day crashed into his mind, and he realized that he had thrown the small dragon off his chest and very nearly buried it alive when he had awoken.

Cedric reached down and picked the dragon up, cradling it in his arms. The dragon gave a peeved snort and gave him an extremely _annoyed_ thought, and then yet another _hungry_ thought.

"You can't possibly be hungry _again_ after that huge snake you ate!" he said.

The dragon shook its head and sent him another _hungry_ thought, this time more insistently.

"Well, what do you want to eat?" Cedric asked it. The dragon seemed to think about this, then sent a _hungry_ thought that was slightly different than the ones before, but Cedric couldn't tell what it meant.

"I really have to teach you how to say words," said Cedric, and the dragon nodded its agreement. "You seem to understand me well enough though. I wonder how that is."

_Because you used your mind to imply your thoughts._

Cedric gave a start. He looked around for the source of the voice, then froze as he realized that he hadn't really _heard _the voice. It had come from inside his head.

_Great. Snakes, dragons, and now voices in my head. I must be going completely mad_ thought Cedric.

_Well, to tell you the truth, those last two things are one in the same. It just took me a while to raid your memories enough to get the gist of this whole 'speaking' thing. _

Cedric slowly turned and looked at the dragon.

_What? _asked the Voice. Cedric said nothing. Then he very slowly asked the dragon, "Are _you_ the one that's talking inside my head?"

_Yes,_ answered the dragon, _and could you please stop looking at me like that_? _You're starting to make me feel uncomfortable._

Cedric sat down with a thud. He had known that dragons were intelligent, but he had never suspected something like this. This was totally out of his depth.

_You might want to get used to that feeling. It will be keeping you company in the coming days. Oh, and about the food. That … snake, is that right? Yes, that snake thing from yesterday was delicious. I wouldn't say no to another. _

This ridiculous comment managed to snap Cedric out of his stupefaction.

"What!? There is no way I am going out there and risking life and limb to find an adder so you can stuff yourself! You can wait until we get back from Leean like Darson and I." He stated.

_Well, one can always hope, no? Oh, and if you think your answers, I will hear them. You probably look quite daft, talking to yourself like that. And the look on your friend's face over there gives me the sneaking suspicion that I'm right._Replied the dragon, sounding thoroughly amused. Cedric realized for the first time that Darson was awake.

Darson was staring at him slack-jawed with confusion and amazement. Cedric looked over at him sheepishly and said,

"The dragon was talking to me in my head."

Darson just gave him another have-you-lost-your-mind look. Cedric went over what he had just said in his mind and realized how crazy it sounded.

"Look, what I mean is…well, I don't know how to explain it without sounding like I've gone... it's almost like we can read each others…," he dwindled off, thinking hard. He had an idea.

Cedric turned to the dragon. _Can you talk to him too?_ He asked.

_Hmm, I don't really know. But hey, it's worth a try. If I can, it could be useful in the future._

The dragon turned toward Darson, who had been watching their exchange with apprehension. It gave a determined snort and concentrated hard. Darson watched it, unsure of what it would do. Suddenly, he went rigid, and his eyes grew wide.

"I-I can hear it! In my head!" he stammered out, shocked. Then he stopped and gave the dragon an offended look.

"What did it say?"

"It said to 'knock that off, your eyes are making several dinner plates envious'."

Cedric chuckled, and thought _Well done. Though you could have left off insulting the poor sap. _

The dragon gave a proud snort and replied _Oh c'mon, where's the fun in that? And besides, I think all that awe was starting to give me a rash._ It itched a spot behind its head with a hind leg like a dog troubled by pesky fleas.

Cedric chuckled again, and looked at the sky, which was already brightening in the advent of dawn. Soon, the sun would be high in the sky and the desert would become as hot as an oven. They needed to get moving, and soon.

"Alright then, introductions finished? Good. Let's start out for Leean."

RrRrRrRr

Cedric strode once again over the dunes, examining his hand with interest. His palm had acquired a silvery sheen where he had touched the dragon. That could cause some trouble.If word of the mark ever got out, it could arouse the interest of the Black Hand.

Upon the defeat and death of its leader Galbatorix, the Black Hand went into hiding, fleeing across the Hadarac Desert to the unknown lands beyond. They had been in hiding ever since, building their power to the level where they could challenge the authority and might of King Roran and, more importantly, the Riders. Or so some said.

Having a dragon so close to where the Black Hand were said to roost was a perilous thing. They would try to recruit him if they found out, or, failing that, try to kill him.

All around, it wasn't a good thing to remain where he was. Every day that he remained ran the risk of discovery. He knew that the people of his tribe would never give up one of their own; it was an unspoken law that you never, _ever_, betrayed one of your own. 'Tis better to die like a true Juska than live as a coward,' as the old saying went. No, they would die before giving him up.

That was what worried him.

He didn't think he could bear watching his friends and neighbors slaughtered for his sake. It went against every rule, adage, and even his own nature to let it happen. _At least,_ he thought wryly to himself,_ if I_ _give myself up, I'll be considered a true Juska and would be included in the legends._

Cedric thought back on all of the legends and stories that he had learned by heart, as had everyone in the Juska tribe, from the tinniest toddler to the eldest elder. Keefa the Strong, Brolle the wise, Heath the Noble, all had lived by the Juska code; with honor, bravery, and cunning. Unfortunately, they had all met disturbingly gruesome ends, martyrs to some noble cause or other. All were hailed as heroes, all were too busy being dead to care.

The way Cedric saw it, no matter how manly, composed, or unflappable you are when facing certain death, at the end of the day, you're still dead. Being brave and stuff, he had no problems with doing if he had to.

It was that awkward dying part that bugged him.

If he stayed, he and possibly his entire tribe were doomed to living in fear. But there was also another way…

He could just leave.

The thought scared him. Ever since he had found his tribe all those years ago, he had been downright paranoid about going too far from the campsite. He almost had to be forced to leave to fetch water. Over the years, his fear had abated somewhat, but he still got an odd feeling in his stomach if he ever had to go farther than the nearest town.

He could remember the day that he had stumbled into the Juska's camp a little over ten years ago. Tired, thirsty, and desperate, he had somehow been able to drag himself over to the nearest tent and squeak out a plea for help before collapsing from exhaustion. He remembered Boon glancing out of the tent flap, his face startled as he beheld the thin, scruffy child on his threshold. He remembered the big man lifting him up and carrying him into his tent as he passed out.

He remembered how he had awoken with no recollection of what had happened short of arriving at Boon's door.

Since that day, he had been Boon the Smith's son and apprentice, and after a while, the Juska tribe accepted him as one of their own. He unconsciously shrugged his shoulder, where his tribe tattoos painted vivid blue and green swirls across his tanned skin.

He looked back over his other shoulder, where the buckets swung lazily from a wooden pole in time with his step. The dragons head poked out of one of them, eyes filled with wonder and delight at this new world in which it found itself, fascinated at every new sight, smell, sound.

Cedric couldn't stop a small smile from spreading itself across his face. Despite the danger and hassle that this small golden creature presented, it itself was innocent. It did not deserve death or desertion, the two easiest solutions to the problem that Cedric now found himself in. Whatever he would do would affect his small companion likewise, for better or worse.

He came to a decision, the hardest he might ever have to make in his life.

He would leave

**A/N: **Over 2,000 words! My muse is getting my lazy butt in gear, which is a problem when your parents are breathing down your neck about the copious amount of homework that's due tomorrow.

In fact, said parents are doing so right now

Gotta run, Plz R and R, TTFN, TGIF- no, wait, it's tuesday... I'm getting my acronyms mixed up. whatever. See Ya!


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